WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today questioned the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on President Trump’s 2018 budget proposal, which will harm hundreds of thousands of people across Maine.

Senator King specifically pressed OMB Director Mick Mulvaney on the proposed cuts to Medicaid, which are estimated to be in excess of $1 trillion over the next 10 years. Senator King asked if the Trump Administration – despite the President unequivocally stating during the campaign that he would not cut Medicaid – believes that services to people in Maine would not be impacted. There are 267,000 people in Maine who rely on Medicaid funding, which provides health coverage primarily to children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

Director Mulvaney stated that he believed, even with the cuts, services for people in Maine will not be impacted.

Senator King issued the following statement:

            “It seems to me that Director Mulvaney’s testimony just doesn’t line up with the reality of what the Administration is proposing,” Senator King said. “It’s easy to sit in an office in Washington and manipulate data under the guise of reforms to say that services won’t be cut – but basic math tells us otherwise. I am concerned that this budget proposal is going to be devastating to senior citizens, those who are disabled, and young children, among many others – and this all is in the name of giving a huge tax cut to the wealthiest Americans. That’s not only backward, it’s unfair, and it’s why I am going to fight for Maine people to stop these cruel cuts.”

During the campaign, President Trump said that he would not make cuts to Medicaid. Despite that promise, his Administration earlier this week released a budget that would make, at minimum, $800 billion in cuts, from projected spending levels necessary to maintain current levels of service. These cuts would have broad, harmful effects on the more than $250,000 people across Maine who rely on Medicaid funding to help them with needed medical services.

To watch Senator King’s questioning of the OMB Director, click HERE.

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